


Hang On For Me

by knitekat



Category: Primeval
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Injury, M/M, possibly more hurt than comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-04-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 21:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1525541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knitekat/pseuds/knitekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From Fredbassett's prompt for my bingo card: Nick/Lester - Lester's car ends up in a river in the middle of nowhere on the way back from an incident and Nick has to get him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hang On For Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fredbassett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fredbassett/gifts).



> Thanks go for Fififolle for the beta.

Nick glanced out at the countryside while James drove them back from the latest anomaly. He'd tried to convince him to stay at one of the local B&Bs and drive back in the morning. He sighed and ignored the enquiring murmur from James, he knew why James had refused and it was nothing to do with the standards of the B&B. He wanted to make sure they were home well before his children were scheduled to arrive in the morning and... well, Nick knew he'd have to meet them at some point. Just not now would be good, no matter what James said, Nick couldn't help but worry over their reaction at meeting the man their mother blamed for the breakup of her marriage. 

“Problem?” James glanced over at him before turning his eyes back to the road. 

“No.” Nick considered his answer before shrugging at the unconvinced sound James made. “I'm just worried about tomorrow.”

“And I've told you... but nothing I say will stop you worrying, will it?” James didn't wait for an answer. “No matter what Sally thinks, Nick, you didn't cause my marriage breakup. It's been on the cards for years.”

“But being interested in me made you take that final step...” Nick's voice trailed off, uncertain if he wanted to know the truth. 

“Not really, I realised I... we weren't happy and the kids were being subjected to yelling matches almost every night,” James informed him mildly. “I certainly wasn't looking for another relationship and you would have been the last person I would have expected to fall for.” 

“Thanks,” Nick muttered, even though he knew James hadn't meant it like that. After all, if anyone had suggested he would have fallen for a man he'd once called a civil service pen pusher and a Government hatchet man... well, he wouldn't have believed them either. 

“Ah...” James glanced over again but before he could respond something dashed into the road in front of them and he wrenched the wheel sharply to the side in order to avoid it. He cursed while he wrestled with his car before his pride-and-joy crashed through a hedge and became airborne.

***

The next thing Nick knew the scenery was spinning and it took water sloshing into the car through the air vents for him to realise they were no longer on the road, let alone on dry land. Staring out the windscreen in shock, it took him a moment to realise the car was unnaturally quiet and considering his car was rapidly filling with water, it was bloody uncharacteristic for James to remain so silent. “James?” Nick reached out to shake his lover's shoulder and received only a groan, telling him all he needed to know about James' state of health. “Fuck!”

Nick rapidly considered their rapidly deteriorating situation and what to do about it. He needed to get James out of the car before they both drowned but was reluctant to open the doors and send them sinking even faster to the river bottom. He could hear his own breathing coming in pants and he took a few moments to calm down, panicking wouldn't help him save James.

From somewhere in the dim reaches of his mind he recalled something Stephen had once told him about getting out of a car in water and he frantically tried to remember everything, before he released his own seatbelt before undoing James'. He glanced at the gear stick and wondered how easy it would be to get James over it when his lover was unresponsive. Fuck! He'd never get James out with him, not when he was fighting the water rushing into the car. Nick knew he'd have no choice but to get out first and come back for James. No matter how hard it was to even consider leaving James behind. 

Nick reached out to press his window control and had almost pressed it before snatching his hand away. He shuddered at the image that came to him, of him on the outside hammering on James' window, unable to break it as he was forced to watch James drown. He glanced at the water entering the car but knew he had no choice, he had to open both front windows now before the electrics died. He leaned over his lover, barely resisting the need to check on him, and hit the controls. He held his breath as the motors whined before the windows slowly opened and allowed more water to spill into the car, an event that was greeted by another groan from James. 

“Try to keep your head above the water,” Nick paused before kissing James. “I will get you out, James,” Nick promised him before having to turn his back on James, one of the hardest things Nick had ever had to do. He took a deep breath and attempted to force his way out through the water gushing into the car. The water hammered him backwards and he could feel panic rising in his chest, if he didn't get out soon... he shook his head and fought down his rising fears. He gritted his teeth and redoubled his efforts, almost yelling in victory when he finally emerged into the river, only just remembering in time not to, or risk a lungful of dirty river water. 

With his lungs burning, Nick had no choice but to kick for the surface and he hoped the air space in the car lasted until he could return to James, that or his lover would be able to hold his breath until he returned to him. Taking a quick breath as soon as he cleared the surface, Nick immediately turned and made his way back to the car, only finding it from the rear lights shining up through the water.

He dived down, his hands reaching out blindly until he could touch the car and use it to find the driver's door. He reached inside the open window and grabbed James under the arms, moving the dead weight of his lover until he could manoeuvre him through the window. Nick kicked desperately for the surface before trying to make for the riverbank. He had no idea if James was still breathing but he knew he needed to be on dry land before he could do anything about that. He gave up fighting the current and merely tried to kick out closer for the bank, feeling his strength fading and digging deep into his reserves until he almost cried out when his feet finally hit the bottom and he half dragged himself and James from the water. 

Nick gasped for air as he quickly examined his lover, his fingers flying to James' throat and he almost sobbed with relief when he felt the man's strong pulse. Even better, James gave a harsh cough and spluttered up water, leading Nick to grabbing his lover roughly and forcing more water from his lungs. 

He almost collapsed with relief before noticing the shivers that gripped James' barely conscious form. Fuck! He was cold himself but... he glanced around, his eyes desperately seeking some form of shelter. With night falling and God only knew how far from where the car had gone into the river and knowing no one would miss them for hours... he needed to get himself and James warm before hypothermia set in.

***

Nick slapped James' face hard, smiling at the muttered obscenity that action provoked, and dragged his lover to his feet. Flinging James' arm over his shoulder and setting off in something Nick knew would look drunken to anyone watching – and oh God, he hoped someone was – Nick chose a direction at random and started to walk.

He was almost in a daze himself, it was the only reason he could think of for almost missing the building in the field next to the path they were staggering along. Although only a wall lay between them and something that might just save their lives it might as well have been a mountain as Nick doubted he had the energy left to clamber over it, and he knew James hadn't. He'd been supporting more and more of James' weight and believed his lover was now automatically putting one foot in front of the other. 

Nick cried out when he spotted a break in the wall where part of it had collapsed. It wasn't completely gone but even the slightest lowering in height might give him – them – a chance. He almost fell over one of the missing stones and did lose his grip on James, sending his lover sprawling on the ground. He didn't bother helping James to his feet again, he just grabbed him under his arms and dragged him towards the building, stumbling and falling several times but he didn't – he couldn't – give up. He only realised he'd reached the building when he backed into the rough stone walls. 

He gently settled James on the ground before searching for a way in, his smile at finding the door fading when he rattled it and heard the sound of a chain. His fingers found the rusting metal and he pulled on it before almost screaming at how close they'd come to safety. He turned when he remembered the fallen stones and half-ran, half-fell back to the wall. His fingers bloodied as he scraped a knuckle in his desperate search for one before he scrambled back to the door and hammered on the chain, his grip slipping from the blood that now coated the stone. Finally, the chain gave and fell with a rattle, and Nick ran back to James. 

Nick shouldered the door open and half-fell inside, dragging himself and James deeper into the shelter and kicking the door shut. His fingers shook as he felt for James' pulse once more and he closed his eyes in relief as it throbbed beneath his fingertips. 

He peered around the gloom and smiled when he spied the hay, not the most comfortable bed but at least it was dry, and the blankets he'd just noticed would help keep them warm. He almost jumped at the snort of some creature, his heart racing wildly until he realised it was a horse. At least they'd be able to share the heat it created... 

Fuck! He slapped James lightly on the cheek and swore when the man didn't react and swore again when he realised James had stopped shivering. His hands shook as he tried to strip James of his wet and cold clothes, numb and blood-slick fingers refusing to cooperate and slipping on buttons. Finally, he succeeded and rapidly shed his own sodden clothing. 

He dragged James towards the hay but paused just shy of it, he had no wish to make their bedding wet and instead grabbed one of the blankets to dry James thoroughly before drying himself with the same somewhat damp material. He piled the hay high before spreading a second blanket over it and manhandling James onto it, covering him with a third and then more of the hay. 

Shivering in the chill air, Nick considered arranging their clothing to dry before dismissing it for now – James needed Nick's body heat more than he needed his clothes right now. He carefully slipped between the blankets and held James tightly, knowing there was little else he could do for him right now. Not until morning and then... he could only hope the horses' owner would be early risers and that they'd have a phone when they checked on their beasts. A phone that wasn't water-logged and useless as his own and James' would be.

***

Nick woke with a start and it took him several moments to remember where he was and what had happened. How could he have fallen asleep when his lover had hypothermia? He was cursing before he realised what had woken him and he began to smile. James was shivering. He was warming up and Nick pulled him into his arms and pressed a kiss against his lover's hair. 


End file.
